Byron Nelson Golf Tournament : Slump-Mired Hayes Has 64--and a Two-Shot Lead

Mark Hayes interrupted his mysterious four-year slump with a six-under-par 64 and took a two-stroke lead Thursday in the storm-delayed uncompleted first round of the $600,000 Byron Nelson golf tournament.

Play was held up, then suspended, by a late-afternoon thundershower that stranded 21 golfers on the course. The players marked their positions and will complete first-round play this morning.

Hayes, who compiled his score early in the day, came within one stroke of his best score as a professional and left the course hours before play was halted.

“It’s hard to come back when you lose all your confidence and don’t know why,” said Hayes, who had eight birdies.

The slump, according to Hayes, “has been four years or so. I can feel it getting better, but there’s a long way to go.”

Hayes, once ranked among the game’s most promising young players but an also-ran since 1977, was the first man off the tee, shortly after dawn, on the new Tournament Players Club at Las Colinas.

“It’s really quite an advantage to play that early--except that you don’t get to practice or warm up much. It’s too dark,” Hayes said.

He took advantage of the untracked greens and--compared to the afternoon gales--relatively calm conditions to birdie his first five holes.

He played the back nine one under par despite a three-putt bogey on the last hole, then sat back and watched his score stand up.

Andy Bean, who scored an eagle-3 and also chipped in for a birdie, and Barry Jaeckel shared second place at 66. Ken Brown of Scotland was next with a 67.